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Canadian Anglican dioceses approve agreement on residential schools lawsuits
2003-036-6
2/19/2003
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[Episcopal News Service]
All 30 dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada unanimously have now ratified an agreement with the government that caps the church's liability in litigation over its operation of residential schools for indigenous youth at $25 million (Canadian).
The terms of the agreement require the dioceses to contribute to the settlement fund it creates. The church announced the creation of a separate corporation, called the Anglican Church of Canada Resolution Corp., that will administer the settlement fund. Under the agreement, 30 percent of compensation will be paid from the fund to former residential school students who have proven claims of sexual or physical abuse. The remaining 70 percent will be paid by the government.
If compensation for the claims exceeds the $25 million the government will pay the rest and, if the awards fall short of that amount, the money will be returned to the dioceses. The dioceses made individual decisions on how they would find the money to contribute their share to the settlement fund.
In the Diocese of Toronto, for example, Archbishop Terry Finlay asked each church member to contribute $100 in an effort to raise a total of $5 million (Canadian). Anglicans in Alberta will sell a church residence to raise money. Other dioceses dipped into reserves or decided to mount campaigns to cover both contributions and to fund local projects.
The agreement was intended to move litigation out of the courts and into a form of alternate dispute resolution. Thousands of lawsuits have been stressing the legal system and costing a great deal of money, threatening to bankrupt the General Synod.
Archdeacon Jim Boyles, general secretary of General Synod and chief negotiator with the government, said that he was 'very pleased with the way dioceses have responded so quickly and so positively to the agreement. It shows the strength of the Anglican family in Canada.' He said that the formal documents will now be sent to dioceses for signatures and that national church leaders and government officials could sign the agreement by March 11.
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